All alone in the night
by Heliotrope
Summary: During episode 23, Kazuki desperately tries to rescue Soushi...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Soukyuu no Fafner; Xebec does.

Author's note: This story is basically the last few episodes of Fafner from Kazuki and Soushi's point of view. During episode 23, it kept switching back and forth between Kazuki trying to rescue Soushi, and the Festum attacking the island. So I wondered what it would be like if it had just focused on Kazuki and Soushi. And thus this story was born.

This story will contain spoilers for the last four episodes of Fafner, and the Gone/Arrive CD drama (which is set during episode 24). I do take some lines directly from Gone/Arrive; but my translation probably isn't that accurate...

In any case, enjoy the story!

* * *

ALL ALONE IN THE NIGHT: PART ONE

It came at him out of nowhere, suddenly latching onto his mind, clawing its way inside. It had talked to him earlier that day, tried to distort his mind. But this felt different. He could feel it...

Soushi let out a sharp scream of pain, his head jerking back at the sudden force.

_'No, it can't be...'_

"This is... crossing. Machine code... Mark Nicht."

_"'Anata wa soko ni imasu ka?"_

He felt numb all over, yet at the same time so heavy, so very heavy. He could barely keep his eyes open.

"The Festum has crossed with the system... It's inside my mind," Soushi whispered, feeling a cold hand resting on his shoulder, and equally cold breath brushing against his ear.

"I am you. You are me," the blond Festum murmured, a bright green assimilation crystal bursting out from its palm. "Let's become one… Soushi."

Soushi gasped as the Festum shoved the crystal into the back of his chair, and watched with blurred vision as the assimilation crystal began to spread from the Niblung system across his hands and feet.

_'Am I being assimilated? Kazuki... help me.'

* * *

_

"Soushi! Can you hear me? What happened?" Kazuki cried out, desperate to get a response.

Everything seemed to have gone wrong in those few seconds. The Festum's unexpected appearance had thrown them completely off-guard, and Kazuki couldn't help but panic when he heard Soushi's scream of pain.

Tsubaki gasped and collapsed to her knees, the crossing between her and Kazuki instantly broken.

"Soushi, answer me!" Kazuki called again, before looking down at the shivering form of Tsubaki. "Tsubaki, what happened just now?"

"T-the Festum... It, it-- It crossed with the system," Tsubaki managed to choke out, clutching at her stomach. "It's filled with so much rage, so much hatred..."

"The Festum crossed with the system?" Kazuki echoed, a feeling of dread sweeping over him. "But what about Soushi?"

"No, please stop this," Tsubaki whispered, not seeming to hear Kazuki. "People aren't filled with only hatred. Please... understand!"

"Kazuki..."

"Soushi! Are you alright?" Kazuki asked, trying to ignore the hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach. Soushi had to be alright!

"Kazuki... Help me. The Festum, it's trying to assimilate me…"

Soushi's words made his blood run cold. That was it; he had to get him out of there right now.

"Hang on, Soushi! I'm almost there," Kazuki called to him. The Festum roots suddenly began to grow, surrounding the Siegfried System again, and blocking his path. With a snarl of fury, Kazuki began to claw at the roots.

"Get out of my way!" he roared, breaking the tentacle-like roots with his Fafner's strong hands, only to have more replace them. "I have to get to Soushi! I have to get to him!"

"Kazu... ki..."

Kazuki recognised that tone of voice, the slow strangled voice of someone who'd been assimilated. Kouyou had sounded like that when he'd been assimilated...

"Soushi! Soushi! Soushi! Soushi!" Kazuki yelled hysterically, increasing his efforts to break him free, tearing and yanking at the roots.

It happened in a split-second; a blinding light filled his vision, and he felt pain ripping through his arms, throwing him backwards and forcing a scream of agony from his throat.

Kazuki felt his Fafner crash into the aqua-blue computerized water. The booming noise was deafening as he struggled back to his feet, and realised that Mark Sein's arms had been torn off.

That suddenly registered in his mind. _'Torn off? But how could that happen? Unless...'_ At that moment he looked up, and froze, temporarily forgetting how to breathe.

The Siegfried System was gone, a large, smoking crater in its place. The roof was also gone, showing a bleak, smoke-filled sky.

_'No... He's, he's--!'_

With horrified eyes, Kazuki stumbled forward, his Fafner flailing in the water.

"Soushi! Soushi! Soushi!" he couldn't stop himself from screaming, his gaze finally resting on the space where the Siegfried System was, confirming that it had been blown up.

"SOUSHI!"

Kazuki fell to his knees, sending up waves of water, shivering inside his Fafner. From her position, still collapsed on the metal floor, Tsubaki looked over at him weakly.

"They blew up the system. Soushi was inside it. Soushi... Soushi is..." Kazuki couldn't finish, as he began to sob hysterically.

A flash of movement high up in the sky made him look up quickly. He narrowed his eyes as he made out the shape of a black Fafner.

"Festum... that's the Festum who did this," Kazuki growled quietly, his grief fuelling the sudden rage that flooded through him. He turned and began to fly upwards at a breathtaking speed.

"That thing, it... it killed Soushi!"

Now it was going to pay.

With a roar of determination, Kazuki slammed Mark Sein into the Festum controlled Fafner. Sparks of metal went flying at the force of the impact, and Kazuki continually rammed into it, pushing it up through the clouds, away from the island.

"Give him back!" Kazuki bellowed about the noise, his throat feeling raw from all his screaming. "Give me back Soushi!"

The Festum ignored him and struggled to break away, assimilation crystal jutting out every which way.

"Give him back!" Kazuki demanded again.

Kazuki was abruptly sent hurtling backwards, and with gritted teeth he watched as the Festum exploded from the inside out.

"SOUSHI!" Kazuki let out this one last cry as exhaustion finally overcame him, and the darkness came rushing to greet him.

* * *

Kazuki sat in silence. Staring with unfocused eyes at the little clay pot he'd been attempting to make, trying to piece everything together.

Soushi was dead. He had failed to save him. That Festum had taken him away.

He hadn't expected to feel this way; a sick, empty feeling twisting about in his stomach. Not since his mother had died had Kazuki felt this way. And in a strange way, it almost seemed more painful this time.

He crushed the still-wet clay pot between his fingers, starting again, trying to take his mind off it, and trying to ignore the incessant throbbing pain in his right eye.

Trying to ignore the emptiness in his heart.

Kazuki knew that his eye was getting worse, that he'd been partially assimilated, just like Sakura. And he knew that it would eventually kill him.

Just like Soushi...

But the Festum had gone even further with Soushi; they'd blown up the Siegfried System, too, just to crush any chance Kazuki had of rescuing him.

Kazuki could see it every time he closed his eyes, haunting him; the blinding light, the inescapable force throwing him backwards, and the pain of his Fafner's arms being torn off.

And then he'd looked up and seen the smoking crater where the Siegfried System had been, and he'd realised what that meant: no physical pain could compare to that.

Even if Soushi had survived the explosion, he'd still be assimilated. And if he somehow hadn't been assimilated, he'd have been blown up moments later.

"Those basterds," Kazuki whispered darkly, his fingers clenching and crushing the fragile clay pot. He wanted to make the Festum suffer, to make them feel the pain he was feeling right now. He wanted to crunch then beneath Mark Sein's feet and watch the life drain from their eyes.

He wanted revenge.

It was strange; he'd never wanted revenge before. Even after Shouko and Mamoru had been killed, or after Kouyou and Sakura had been assimilated. Even after the loss of his own mother, not once had he wanted revenge. And he had always hated the part of him that enjoyed killing the Festum.

What was it about Soushi that made him feel differently?

Kazuki knew what it was; the feeling he'd had for years now, but had only began to understand what it meant recently.

When he'd been trying to escape from the NEO UN base, and all he could think of was how he had to get back to the island, how he had to see Soushi again. And then when he thought it was all over, he had just wanted to talk to Soushi one last time.

At that time, he had realised what this feeling was.

"I love him," Kazuki said into the darkened room.

And now that Soushi was gone, Kazuki didn't think he could bear going on without him.

He didn't want to have to wake up and face the day without seeing his face; without running to greet him on the path to school; without sitting beside him at lunch and offering him some of his homemade meal; without hearing his polite voice as he eagerly excepted the food; without walking into Alvis each day and seeing him standing there, waiting to explain today's mission to him; without his gentle touch on his shoulder during his pilot training sessions.

Without him...

"Soushi..." Kazuki shuddered, bringing his knees up to his chest and hugging them tightly, resting his head on his arms as he started to cry.

He wanted to wake up and find out that this had all been some terrible dream, to find that Soushi had never been trapped inside the system, and that the Festum had never taken him away.

He wanted to feel Soushi's arms around him, and his head resting against his shoulder, safe and warm; by his side, where he belonged. If he closed his eyes, Kazuki could almost see him...

"But that not going to happen," Kazuki said in a raspy voice, opening his eyes. "Soushi's dead."

Kazuki swallowed and continued with his pottery, hoping that he would manage to stop crying soon.

"I will have my revenge on those Festum," he vowed out loud, eyes narrowing. He had an idea of what to do, how to get his revenge and maybe even make the emptiness go away.

His father would be back soon, to discuss matters with him; matters such as Soushi's funeral. They usually had the funeral quite soon after the person died, or at least, they had with Kuramae and Shouko's deaths. They hadn't had a chance to have Mamoru's funeral yet, and Kazuki guessed they may have it the same time as Soushi's...

"No!" Kazuki said, biting down on his lip to keep from crying again. "I don't want to think about it. I don't want to talk about it. I just want it to all go away. ... I just want to see Soushi again."

When Fumihiko arrived, Kazuki knew he would have to tell him about his plan. His father wouldn't be happy about it--

_'Of course he won't be happy about it!'_

--But Kazuki didn't know what else he could do; he felt like he was slowly going insane, just sitting here doing nothing, feeling himself slip away.

Kazuki brought his hand up to his injured eye, pressing it against the closed lid, and feeling the tingles of pain that it left in its wake. It was almost comforting in some strange, twisted way. It made him feel slightly closer to Soushi... because now he too had an eye injury.

Kazuki looked up as he heard the front door sliding open, and saw his father step inside.

"Hello, Kazuki."

"Hello, dad."

"Are you feeling any better?"

"Yes, a little bit. My eye doesn't hurt quite as much as it did yesterday; the painkillers I took must have kicked in," Kazuki said evenly.

"No, I meant about... what happened yesterday," Fumihiko said, careful not to mention Soushi's name directly.

"Oh. In that case, no, I'm not feeling any better."

A silence fell over them as Fumihiko sat down beside him.

"Dad, I... I want to talk to you about something," Kazuki began hesitantly, switching off the pottery machine. "My body has been assimilated like Sakura's. I'm dieing, aren't I?"

"Kazuki. No, I'm sure that we can find some way to stop the assimilation," Fumihiko said quietly. "I'm sure we will..."

"You don't have to pretend, dad. That not what I really wanted to talk to you about. Dad... I want to go to the north-pole and fight the Festum - alone."

"What are you talking about?" Fumihiko asked in alarm, taking in the sad, yet calm look on his son's face. "You can't be serious."

"I am. I want to go for Soushi's sake."

"Kazu--"

"No, please listen to me," Kazuki interrupted, his voice rising slightly. "At that time, when mother was killed, this is how you felt, wasn't it? It's the same feeling."

Fumihiko couldn't help but gasp slightly at the mention of Akane.

"But back then you didn't have the power to kill the Festum, to get your revenge," Kazuki continued. "But I can. With Fafner I can!"

"No! Kazuki, I--"

"I have to go and kill them for his sake, dad!"

"You can't go!" Fumihiko shouted back. "You and Mark Sein are vital; if you go, who will protect this island?"

"Toomi and Canon are still here," Kazuki said desperately. He had to convince him. "And Kenji, too."

"I don't think he's in any state of mind to fight."

"I'm sure he'll be able to do it. Since Sakura has been assimilated, and Mamoru and his mother are dead, I'm sure he'll protect the island in their memory."

Fumihiko shook his head slowly. "I still don't think you should do something so stupid and dangerous."

"But don't you understand?" Kazuki cried, feeling frustrated. "I've been assimilated. My body is going to end up like Sakura's soon. I'm dieing anyway! So I might as well go on my own!"

"Stop it, Kazuki," Fumihiko pleaded, not wanting to listen to him, or admit that he was right.

"Please, dad, please let me go. I can't just sit here anymore," Kazuki begged, his voice broken. "Please let me go while I still have the chance. I can do it. It's OK. I can go and fight alone!"

Fumihiko watched as Kazuki turned away and began to sob once again. He didn't want Kazuki to go, because if he did, he would probably never see him again. And yet at the same time, what Kazuki said was true; he had been assimilated and his body was breaking down.

If he was going to die either way, then shouldn't he be able to have this one wish granted? Who was he to stand in his son's way, if it would give him some small comfort before the end?

With a heavy heart, Fumihiko nodded. "OK, Kazuki. You can go," he said, forcing the words out.

Kazuki gazed at hi, tear-filled eyes wide in disbelief. "Dad... I… Thank you, dad."

* * *

_The assimilation crystals were slowly crawling up his arms and legs, covering him._

_'Am I being assimilated?' he wondered, ever as the crystal kept higher. 'I must be. But, I don't want... I--'_

_Opening his mouth, Soushi tried his best to answer Kazuki's incessant calls._

_"Kazuki..."_

_"Soushi! Are you alright?" Kazuki responded frantically._

_Swallowing the lump of fear that was gathering in his throat, and ignoring the strange floating sensation that was rushing through him, Soushi whispered weakly, "Kazuki... help me. The Festum, it's trying to assimilate me..."_

_He heard Kazuki's sharp intake of breath; it sounded oddly distant._

_"Hang on, Soushi! I'm almost there!"_

_Soushi's head drooped as he fought to stay conscious, clinging to Kazuki's fearful voice as though it were a lifeline. He felt the Siegfried System begin to shake as Kazuki tore at the Festum tentacles with Mark Sein's hands._

_'I don't think I can hold on anymore. I'm sorry, Kazuki...'_

_Soushi's eyes closed for a second, before snapping back open. His pupils had gone round and vacant, and the assimilation crystal now came up to his shoulders._

_"Kazu... ki..." he stuttered, voice slow and emotionless._

_And after that he couldn't move anymore; it was as though his body was no longer under his control._

_He could hear Kazuki's voice, still screaming his name. And then an explosion happened, and he could hear Kazuki screaming painfully._

_And then he was calling to him again._

_"Soushi! Soushi! Soushi!"_

_'Kazuki... Kazuki... I'm still here. I can hear you.'_

_"Soushi! Soushi! Soushi!"_

_'But I can't talk anymore.'_

_Through frozen eyes he watched as Kazuki flew towards them; he'd never seen him look so angry, or so grief-stricken._

_'Is it because of me?'_

_"Give him back!"_

_'Kazuki... I don't want to go.'_

_"Give me back Soushi!"_

_'I'm sorry.'_

_"Give him back!"_

_And then it all faded._

_

* * *

_

End of part one. I should have part two finished soon.

See you then!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Fafner and its characters be not mine, they be Xebec/Hisashi Hirai's.

Author's note: Bloody hell, I finally updated this fanfic! The thing is I had originally planned for this story to be in two parts; the first set during episodes 23/24, the second during episode 25/26. But part two just kept getting longer, so eventually, this evening, I decided to split it into three. So now I'm posting chapter two (lol, which I actually started back in 2007, as soon as I'd finished part one).

Right, so this chapter is set mostly during episode 25. And also a few of the scenes in it are based on official Fafner promotional art (such as the scenes 'in Soushi's mind' that are based on the picture of poor uke-looking Soushi being restrained/groped by the golden Festum tentacles. Surely everybody must have seen that picture by now?).

And just a note of warning, this part contains a non-consensual Festum/Soushi moment (which is the main reason this chapter took so damn long to write. I felt so mean as I wrote it. Sorry, Soushi...). If you've read my latest 'Days of Blue' chapter, you might remember what Soushi said about assimilation:

_"As my body was being assimilated, my mind couldn't comprehend it in any other way than, well, sex – becoming one the way that humans do. And so to me, it was like I was being raped."_

So baring that in mind, enjoy the new chapter.

* * *

ALL ALONE IN THE NIGHT: PART TWO 

"_The Festum tried to use your power against you, but they could not control it. And so they have kept alive the one who can."_

"_You mean the person who operates the Siegfried System?"_

"_Yes. A human called Minashiro Soushi."

* * *

_

Kazuki could scarcely believe it; Soushi was still alive. This changed everything, now he had a new purpose; he had to rescue Soushi.

And they'd even been given a method for combating the assimilation effects by that Festum in his mother's form, so even if Soushi had been assimilated, they could help him now.

They'd tested the assimilation treatment on Sakura right away, and she'd actually begun to respond to it, much to Kenji's delight.

After explaining their new plan of action, Fumihiko had dismissed the pilots, urging them to get some rest; they had a long day ahead of them tomorrow.

But Kazuki was just lying back in bed, staring up at the ceiling, feeling wide awake. He just kept mulling over the events of the day, and remembering the joy that had flooded through him upon hearing those words.

"He's alive," Kazuki murmured excitedly. "Soushi's alive."

The Festum hadn't actually blown up the Siegfried System; somehow they'd managed to transport it - and Soushi - to the north-pole, where the enemy Mir was.

"I hope he's alright. I hope he's not... badly assimilated."

It didn't matter, they could still help him.

"I wonder what's happening to him right now," Kazuki said sleepily. "When we get back home, I'm going to do it; I'm going to tell Soushi how I feel about him. Even if he doesn't feel the same way, I have to at least tell him."

* * *

"_Anata wa soko ni imasu ka?_"

With great effort on his part, Soushi forced his aching eyes open. "Where am I? What happened?" he whispered.

He couldn't remember it all that clearly, just in pieces; being trapped inside the system; the assimilation crystal covering his body; Kazuki trying to set him free; the feeling of being separated from his body; Kazuki chasing after the Festum.

And then...

Soushi looked around the barren place that he found himself in. An odd humming sound radiated through the air, making his head feel fuzzy, making everything feel oddly surreal.

The sky was pitch-black and streaked with fiery orange and red clouds. The ground was also dark, and seemed to stretch on endlessly.

Soushi tried to move forward; he let out a muffled gasp as his body was jerked backwards.

"I can't move. Why can't I move?"

Finally summoning the strength, Soushi tilted his head and glanced down at himself.

"-What is this...?"

He was shocked to find that he was being restrained by a multitude of bright gold and orange Festum tentacles - the same kind that had tried to assimilate the Siegfried system. They wove tightly around his whole body, holding him firmly in place.

Soushi cried out as a sharp pain shot through his left eye. He felt another tentacle wrapping itself around his neck, forcing his head back.

"Help," he whispered, voice filled with pain as he tried not to start crying. "Help me... Kazuki."

"Soushi!"

Soushi looked up at the sound of his voice. Kazuki was there, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. The brunette's flight-suit was torn and burnt in places, his face dripping with sweat as he limped towards Soushi, a hand clutching a particularly bad looking burn mark on his shoulder.

"Kazuki!" Soushi said breathlessly, straining against his binds. "You're here! How did you get here?"

"In my Fafner," Kazuki panted, coming to a stop before Soushi. He looked up at the blond with glistening eyes. "I followed that Festum here. I... I thought that you were dead."

Soushi shook his head fiercely. "No, I'm not dead. I'm still here. I'm so glad you came for me. I- You-"

Soushi's eyes widened in surprise as Kazuki reached out his un-injured arm, and cupped Soushi's cheek in his palm. He couldn't help but flush at the tenderness of his touch; soft and reassuring; it made him believe that maybe he'd somehow make it out of here alive.

Kazuki smiled and brushed his fingers across heated flesh. "Of course I came to save you," he whispered, beginning to blush himself. "I can't live without you, because I... I love you."

Soushi felt his heartbeat speed up. "What?" he whispered in disbelief.

"I love you," Kazuki repeated with more confidence this time.

"But, but...," Why was he telling him this now, in this place? It all felt so strange to Soushi.

"What's wrong? Don't you love me, too?"

"No, I do love you. I've loved you for as long as I can remember, but-"

Soushi didn't get a chance to finish, as suddenly Kazuki's mouth was covering his. Soushi gasped at the unexpectedness of it, and Kazuki used this opportunity to slip his tongue inside, exploring the heat of Soushi's mouth.

Regardless of how bizarre the situation may have been, Soushi did love Kazuki very much, and so he closed his eyes and returned the kiss enthusiastically.

"Hmm, Kazuki..."

"Soushi," Kazuki whispered, his voice sounding deeper than usual.

"What is it?"

"Are you there, Soushi?"

"Kazuki?" Soushi said questioningly, opening his eyes again.

And suddenly it wasn't Kazuki in front of him anymore. The figure twisted and merged into that blond Festum; the Festum who had talked to him earlier, attacked the island and kidnapped him.

"You!" Soushi cried out, struggling anew to free himself as the blond Festum regarded him with an unreadable expression on its face.

"We do not understand why you struggle," said the Festum, raising its hand to Soushi's face in much the same way the phantom Kazuki had.

Soushi flinched; he was nauseated by the fact that it had been this Festum touching him, and not Kazuki.

"Let me go!" he said, trying the wrench his head away from the Festum's cold hand.

"We cannot do that," replied the Festum. "We do not understand how to use this."

"This?" repeated a puzzled Soushi. "What are you talking about?"

"We do not understand how to use this machine. But you do, and so we must keep you here, so that you can help us fight."

"Help you fight who?"

"The children of Alvis. They are coming here to destroy us. So you will help us fight them by using this machine."

"The machine is... the Siegfried System?" Soushi whispered. "Wasn't I in it just now? Yes, I remember; the assimilation crystal had covered me up to my shoulders... So how am I in this place now?"

Soushi turned to look questioningly at the Festum, but a wave of dizziness passed over him, and he shut his eyes to block out the feeling.

When he opened them again he was back in the Siegfried System, his body still covered in the green crystals, the sky still dark and alien.

Soushi swallowed and tried to regain his composure, whispering shakily, "The Festum are playing with my mind again, making me hallucinate. I hope Kazuki and the others get here soon; if they even know that I'm here. I don't know how much more of this I can take..."

* * *

The night before the final battle, Kazuki dreamt. The dreams came in fragments; each of them short, but vivid.

In the first dream he was in his flight-suit, floating in the ocean. His vision was blurred as he drifted deeper into the murky water. He blinked, trying to get his eyes working again, but that just seemed to make it worse.

And then, through the gathering darkness, he could make out a figure, pale and shining above him.

"Soushi..."

The vision reached out his hand, caressing Kazuki's tired features.

"Shhh, it's OK. Don't be afraid, Kazuki. I won't let you fall," Soushi murmured comfortingly.

The darkness was all around him now, with Soushi being his only source of light. He accepted the hand that was offered to him, grasping it tightly.

"Soushi, I..."

"I'll show you the way back home, Kazuki. I promise."

"Soushi, I love..."

And then the dream suddenly changed.

Soushi was before him, the assimilation crystals covering him up to his neck. The crystals and Soushi were glowing gold, like a Festum.

"Please, Kazuki... help me! There's not much time left!" Soushi begged, his voice strained, tears threatening to fall as he gazed at Kazuki fearfully.

"I'm coming, Soushi! Hold on!" Kazuki stumbled forward, his right eye throbbing beneath its bandage. He ignored the pain as he pressed on. He had to get to Soushi. Not much time left... Not much time... I'm almost there...

Kazuki reached out and pressed his hand against the crystal.

And it shattered.

Kazuki woke up screaming. He gasped for air, his body covered in a cold sweat.

"No! Soushi, come back!"

When he finally managed to calm down and get back to sleep, the last dream was far more pleasant.

Kazuki was standing on the beach, gazing out at the water, listening to the wind. The sky was clear and azure, just as it should be. Everything about this island was just as it should be.

He waded out into the water, almost revelling in the sensation of the water soaking into his dark blue Alvis uniform.

He felt at peace; like he'd come to the end of a very long journey, and now he could finally rest. Closing his eyes, he breathed it all in.

Maybe this was paradise after all.

He opened his eyes as he felt a presence behind him. He didn't need to turn around to see who it was; he already knew. He'd been waiting.

"Soushi," he whispered, as Soushi wrapped his arms around his waist, and rested his head on his shoulder.

"Kazuki, I'm here."

Kazuki awoke soon after that dream. It had left him filled with the odd combination of happiness and sadness. He didn't know what to think of it. And he couldn't help but feel apprehensive of the battle to come.

All he knew for certain was that today he would see Soushi again. And that's all that he needed.

* * *

Soushi closed his eyes and let loose a cry of pain as a sharp pulse of energy suddenly raced through his mind.

_'That Festum must be crossing with the system again,_' Soushi thought in his dazed state.

Sure enough, multiple view-screens popped up all around him, that blond Festum's smirking face present on the centre one.

"Child of Alvis, teach us the true fighting method," it ordered him.

Soushi ignored its demand, still gasping painfully, struggling in a futile attempt to break free from the assimilation crystals that covered his body.

"Now you are going to destroy the humans on this land," the Festum continued coldly.

'_The humans on this land?_' Soushi thought, his head thumping in pain. _'That means the others must be here. Kazuki is here..._'

"K-k-Kazuki..." Soushi whispered in a cracked voice, closing his eyes. He was... afraid.

"You will help us, child of Alvis, the Festum said, its voice sounding much closer than before.

"No, I won't do it!"

Soushi opened his weary eyes as the pain abruptly lessened, and saw that the Festum was hovering right in front of him, still with that odd smirk on its face.

"You will do what we tell you, Child of Alvis," the Festum said, its cold breath stinging like ice against Soushi's face. "We wish to become one with you."

"What?" Soushi moaned weakly. The world twisted around him and once again he found himself bound by the gold and orange Festum tentacles, suspended in the strange dark world of nothingness.

"Once we become one, you will do as we say," the Festum's voice suddenly came from behind him.

It was then that Soushi realised his body was bare, and a wave of sickness passed over him when it dawned on him what the Festum intended to do. He blushed as the Festum pressed itself against him from behind, sliding its hands down his sides to rest upon his hips.

'_No. This isn't happening. It isn't real. My body is still inside the Siegfried System, trapped in the assimilation crystals. This is all just an illusion,_' Soushi thought erratically as the Festum positioned itself. '_But I guess this is the only way my brain can comprehend assimilation… as sex._'

He wanted to run away and hide. But this was all inside his mind and so there was no place left for him to hide. He couldn't escape.

Soushi screamed loudly as the Festum entered him roughly, sheathing itself fully in one agonising movement. Soushi fell limply against his bonds, mouth open, gasping in shock and pain.

Pain. So much pain. It hurt so much. He knew it could be painful at first, but this—it felt like he was being torn apart. Soushi bit down on his lip to keep from screaming again, tears trickling down his cheeks and then falling into the nothingness beneath him.

Soushi sobbed and whimpered as the Festum kept a steady rate of sharp, deep thrusts, its nails digging into Soushi's hips deep enough to draw blood.

If it had been Kazuki, he would have been gentle. Kazuki would have touched him with love and kindness. But the Festum knew nothing of such things, they had only learned about anger and hatred.

'_Kazuki, please get here soon…_'

* * *

Kazuki stared at the scene before him with wide, amazed eyes. There were Neo UN planes and submarines as far as the eye could see – thousands of them. But surrounding them were Festum in equal numbers.

This was certainly going to be a battle to remember.

But they weren't here for a battle; they were here to rescue Soushi and to fulfil the request of the Festum in his mother's form.

All of the Neo UN's machines seemed to be focusing their fire on the huge pyramid shaped object in the sky. Kazuki's group knew from the information they'd received that this was just a distraction and that the real heart of the enemy was hidden elsewhere.

Blasting the Festum out of their way, the four Fafners headed towards the secret entrance.

"Come on everyone, this way!" Kazuki called to his friends.

"Right!" the other three pilots replied in unison, their minds linked together by the system.

'_Soushi, I'm almost there,_' Kazuki thought, frowning in determination as they broke their way through the wall. '_Just hold on for a little while longer…_'

* * *

end of part two

I feel like such an arse for doing that to Soushi. But it had to be written. And there'll be more of it to come in chapter three...


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